Pratap skyrockets the bar and creates high voltage drama with his whispering monochromes
By Asmita Aggarwal
Even though theatrics (read hospital beds, drips which light up, yes really! and nurses, as well as the fabulous trio of Karsh Kale, Ankur Tewari and Grain performing live) and Rajesh Pratap Singh are pretty unconnected, there were some pretty cool ones at his aut-winter 2015 show at the AIFW.
Maybe it was his way of saying that we (humankind) are kind of patients in this world where the disease of FB and twitter has taken hold of us; or maybe just that we all put on this mask to, in reality, camouflage what is going on in our distracted minds. But analysis aside, what makes Pratap the most powerful voice on Indian fashions firmament is his commitment and dedication to finish, cut and inimitable, hand crafted techniques.
Whether it is his love for ikkat, which he will never give a miss or his tumescent affair with buttery textured leather, which he introduced with raw, unfinished edges on charcoal black skirts, everything is sharply tailored, neatly executed and mathematically calculated, with not a thread out of place. And what makes him a bit more endearing is his reticence and unwillingness to explain or clarify, so you are left to deduce.
And the conclusion always remains that he courts imperfection and kind of celebrates it in his own, unique way, whether it is his black, drippy polka dots on pleated skirts or his husky hand seams, what remains robust is his affection for the unacknowledged white, collared shirt, also a testament of his giddy upward journey.
This time, the humble white shirt was combined with black, made slightly longer and worn with cropped, rolled up pants. His nifty checks were as pleasing as his androgynous check jumpsuit and his leather accented pockets of wintry coats added to the sparkle of his patent leather Oxfords. But it was his geeky glasses, monochromatic wraps fastened with careless bows and pleated skirts that won hearts.
It would be an understatement to call Rajesh, an artist, but it could attempt to describe his design prowess, which does not seek the shimmer of sequins or the grandeur of embroidery, rather uses fabric manipulation to create 3 D flowers or abstract motifs on the base of his skirts.
Even as some models did the jig, some did a ghost rewind, others put their finger on their lips…the last one was apt…. after all Pratap deserves rapt attention!
